When it comes to vehicle and towing component tow ratings, I always explain a couple important points to owners.
- Ratings and capacities are assigned to vehicles and towing components when they are new.
- It is up to us as owners to periodically inspect and perform preventive maintenance on tow vehicles and towing components.
When you purchase a brand-new vehicle, it has a manufacturer assigned tow rating based on how the vehicle is equipped from the factory. Now, for the sake of an example, let’s say the vehicle is 10 years old. When it was new, let’s say it was rated to safely tow 10,000 pounds. Is it okay to assume at 10 years old this vehicle is still capable of safely towing 10,000 pounds? The average vehicle is driven roughly 15,000 miles per year. At 150,000 miles I am leery about towing 10,000 pounds without thoroughly inspecting the vehicle first, Of course, it depends on how well the vehicle was maintained, but even with a good preventive maintenance program things begin to go wrong at 150, 000 miles.
Tires need to be in good condition and inflated properly for the load placed on them. Oil, fluids, and filters need to be checked and changed on a regular basis. U-joints, shocks, ball-joints, tie rod ends and seals all wear over a period. I could go on, but I’m sure you get the point. Unless this vehicle is in near perfect original condition, chances are it cannot tow the same amount of weight it could when it was new.
This is true of towing components too. Components like hitch receivers, hitch hardware, fasteners, tow vehicle baseplates and tow bars wear just like the components on a vehicle do. Bolts loosen and wear, welds crack and break, and old components stop working the way they were designed and intended to work.
I have witnessed issues like this first-hand numerous times through the years. As a matter of fact, the reason I decided to write this article is because of something that just happened the other day. I restore old cars and trucks as a hobby. I have a 1983 Dodge Ramcharger (SUV) that I decided to restore. I also had a good Cummins diesel engine sitting in my shop for a couple years. My thoughts were to put the diesel engine in the Ramcharger. I knew because the Ramcharger was a half-ton vehicle the additional weight of the diesel engine could be problematic. To solve this, I purchased a ¾ ton Dodge parts truck and installed all the suspension from it to the Ramcharger. And I replaced all the old worn suspension parts with new parts. After I installed the diesel engine, diesel transmission and heavy-duty suspension the thought occurred to me I might be towing car trailers or other equipment with this vehicle. So, I decided to remove and inspect the old hitch receiver and hardware.
I am glad I did!
After removing the old rusty nuts from the receiver mounting bolts and removing the hitch receiver from the vehicle, I used a magnet with a long handle to remove the bolts from inside the vehicle frame.
What I found were bolts partially worn through to the point it was not safe to use the hitch receiver. (old bolt on top, new bolt on bottom) Especially since upgrading the vehicle to a diesel with ¾ ton components with expectation of towing heavy loads
Something else worth noting is the grade of bolts used to mount the hitch receiver. If you are not aware of it, bolts and other fasteners are rated in strength by the grade marked on the head of the bolt. Each grade is designed for specific uses. The bolts I removed, on the left is a grade 5 bolt noted by the 3 hash marks. These are strong bolts, but the issue is with corrosion over time. They are carbon steel. The bolts I installed are grade 8 noted by the 6 hashmarks. These are alloy steel meaning that more elements are added to the bolt, making it strong and more resistant to corrosion.
It’s also important that fasteners are torqued to the proper specs and I use Loctite red on the bolt threads.
I feel much better about the possibility of towing with the Ramcharger after inspecting and replacing the hardware on the hitch receiver. If you have an older vehicle and plan to tow with it I encourage you to thoroughly inspect the vehicle and the towing components prior to towing. If you are not sure exactly what or how to do it, take it to a reputable service center and ask them to check it for you.
This reminds me of another article I wrote about an RV owner whose baseplate on his towed vehicle was not only improperly installed, but had a new crossbar malfunction too. You can read that article here
The moral of this story is twofold. If you are towing with an older vehicle do not take tow ratings as a sure thing and inspect all the towing components periodically. And two, even with new towing components, inspect the components regularly and do not assume everything was installed properly in the first place.
Happy Camping,
Mark Polk
RV Education 101
http://rveducation101.com/
RV 101® Travel Trailer Ultimate Video & E-book Bundle
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/travel-trailer-ultimate-e-book-and-video-bundle
RV 101® 5th Wheel Ultimate Video & E-book Bundle
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/rv-101-5th-wheel-ultimate-video-e-book-bundle
RV 101® Motorhome Ultimate Video & E-book Bundle
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/rv-101-motorhome-ultimate-video-e-book-bundle
Travel Trailer & 5th Wheel Trailer RV Orientation Video Training Course
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/rv-101-rv-orientation-for-travel-trailer-s-5th-wheel-trailers
Tow Your Travel Trailer Like a Pro Video Training Course
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/rv-101-trailer-towing-basics
Tow Your 5th Wheel Like a Pro Complete Online Video Training Course
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/tow-your-5th-wheel-like-a-pro
Motorhome RV Orientation Video Training Course
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/motorhome-rv-orientation-video-training-course
Drive Your Motorhome Like A Pro Complete Online Video Training Course
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/drive-your-motorhome-like-a-pro
RV Care & Preventive Maintenance RV DIY® Online Video Training
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/rv-101-rv-care-preventive-maintenance-online-video-training
RV Essential Items Video Training Course
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/rv-essential-items
Winterizing and Storing Your RV Video Training Course
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/winterizing-and-storing-your-rv-video
Travel Trailer 4 Video Bargain Set Plus Free RV Checklist ebook
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/travel-trailer-video-bundle
5th Wheel 4 Video Bargain Set Plus Free RV Checklist ebook
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/5th-wheel-video-bundle
Motorhome 4 Video Bargain Set Plus Free RV Checklist ebook
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/motorhome-video-bundle
———————–
A Collection of RV Education 101 E-Books – 9 RV E-BOOK BUNDLE SET
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/a-collection-of-rv-education-101-e-books-9-rv-e-book-bundle-set
An Introduction to RVs E-book Training Course
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/an-introduction-to-rvs
Insider’s Guide to Buying an RV E-Book Training Course
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/insider-s-guide-to-buying-an-rv-downloadable-pdf-e-book
Owning & Operating an RV E-Book Training Course
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/owning-operating-an-rv
The Original Checklists for RVers E-Book Training Course
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/the-original-checklist-s-for-rvers
RV Campground Basics E-Book Training Course
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/rv-campground-basics-e-book-course
RV Safety Features, Tips & Tricks E-book Training Course
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/rv-safety-features-tips-tricks
RV Care & Maintenance E-Book Training Course
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/rv-care-maintenance-e-book-course
Winterizing & Storing Your RV E-Book Training Course
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/winterizing-storing-your-rv-e-book
RV Battery Care & Maintenance E-Book Training Course
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/rv-battery-care-maintenance
Trailer Towing Basics E-Book Training Course
https://rvonlinetraining.com/p/trailer-towing-basics-e-book
RV 101® - RV Education 101® 